Playoff streak extension big for young BU lineup

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This article was published 26/02/2025 (255 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon University Bobcats roller coaster season derailed on Friday.

A team that competed with some of the best in U Sports men’s basketball on occasion — and let the worst get the better of them — defended like an NBA all-star team for one quarter. That is, they let the Trinity Western Spartans score at will, dropping 38 points in the first 10 minutes and hanging on to win 101-90 in the first round of the Canada West playoffs.

“They made plays, they made shots, they got out in transition. We were casual and careless with the basketball and it was an uphill battle for the next 30 minutes,” said Bobcats coach Gil Cheung, adding he was proud of his young group that spent the entire season on the outside of the playoff picture until the final weekend.

“The guys hung in there. They developed, we got better, we grinded out games where it was low scoring, we scored when we had to. We won on the road, we won at home, a lot of positives to take for this group for sure.

“It’s a huge experience for the younger guys to get that extra couple of weeks, play in must-win games and get in a playoff atmosphere.”

SLOW START,

WILD FINISH

The Bobcats opened the season much like the previous one, adjusting to life without two of their top players.

Anthony Tsegakele and Jahmaal Gardner left before the 2023-24 campaign opened, then Eli Ampofo and Khari Ojeda-Harvey both departed with a year of eligibility remaining following the 12-8 finish and quarterfinal appearance.

The Bobcats earned a split against the Regina Cougars, thanks to one of the worst displays of free-throw shooting in league history — 15-for-37 by the Cougars to give the Bobcats an 87-83 win.

Brandon split Alberta at home, then settled for a 1-1 weekend in Edmonton, handing the lowly MacEwan Griffins their first victory in more than five years.

BU split Mount Royal at home and nearly stole one off nationally ranked Manitoba, falling in overtime before a 47-point blowout one night later.

It took another 40-point beatdown in Calgary, then led with less than four minutes to play before giving up a big run to lose the rematch.

Needing wins desperately, the Bobcats stole one on a massive Travis Hamberger three-pointer in Winnipeg, then lost by 39 the second night.

They swept the Saskatchewan Huskies in the season finale, needing both victories to snag the last playoff spot at 7-13.

To suggest they had a realistic shot of escaping the first weekend by beating the Spartans then the host Dinos in Calgary the following day would have been outlandish, but it was still at least somewhat disappointing for guys like graduating forward Jack McDonald and Blake Magnusson to fail to win a playoff game for the first time in their U Sports careers.

“The top four teams that made it through were probably the top four teams all year with Winnipeg being right there too,” Cheung said.

“We would have loved to get one more, move on and see where we fit in but it was big for our group to win games we needed to win.”

THE VETERANS

Pick a stat and you’ll probably see Sultan Bhatti’s average near the top of the conference.

He posted 20.4 points per game (second), 10.7 rebounds per game (first) and 4.5 assists per game (fifth) in his fourth year.

Having pushed a thin BU lineup to the playoffs, the Montreal native is a lock for Canada West’s first-team all-star fivesome.

“His numbers obviously speak for themselves but at the same time it’s more so the maturity he’s shown throughout the year, especially with the younger group,” Cheung said.

“His ability to lead and carry himself in practice was night and day compared to his first three years.

“You saw what he brought every single night and his numbers are almost like video game numbers.”

It was a down year for Hamberger, mostly due to a mid-season slump, shooting just 36.5 per cent from the field and 27.2 from three-point range for 11.9 ppg. He turned it on down the stretch, going for a season-high 23 points to push BU to a key win over MRU, ending a four-game losing streak.

McDonald caught fire in moments, shooting 38 per cent from deep while splitting time in the heart of BU’s defence with Magnusson.

THE AMERICANS

Dewayne Thompson and Jakarri Lindsey rolled in to replace Ojeda-Harvey and Gardner — who signed a pro contract and left the morning of BU’s 2023 opener, leaving Cheung no chance to fill the third import slot.

Lindsey came off the bench but still averaged nearly 19 minutes per game. His first semester was a blooper reel on the offensive end, with multiple high-flying dunk attempts flying wildly off the rim and away.

He shot 35.5 per cent from the field and just 20 from deep, but did his primary job well on the other end.

Thompson took time to adjust from junior college to a more physical game, but the five-foot-10 guard found his way and strung together some impressive outings as one of Brandon’s best one-on-one scorers.

He netted a career-high 31 points in the win over Alberta and hit double-digits in 14 of the 20 games he played.

“As a wing athlete and defender, we were very happy with (Lindsey) at times on the defensive end. I think he’s got some development to do on the offensive end,” Cheung said.

“Dewayne was brought in to add pace to our team and to score. If you can score 30 points in a playoff game, you’ve done your job.

“They’ve both been really strong for us on different ends of the court and two guys we want to keep developing.”

THE YOUNG BUCKS

It was a big recruiting year for Cheung to replace more than just Ampofo and Ojeda-Harvey since a handful more guys moved on.

Youri Cange proved one of the pieces he’ll build around as the CEGEP transfer from Quebec started all 21 games.

“He’s probably one of the top 10, top five wing defenders in our conference being a first-year kid, probably led the conference for minutes played as a freshman,” Cheung said.

The next two guys up were Darko Karac (13.7 mpg) and Nathan Saldo (9.4), both showing flashes of potential in limited reps.

They’ll both need to push hard in the off-season to see more floor time since — for now — all the guards are back in 2025-26.

Magnusson and McDonald leaving opens the door for guys like Neelin product Max Winters and former Crocus Plainsmen Tilkisew Gebeyehu to step in. Six-foot-seven Swan River product Liam McArthur is also waiting in the wings, while Noah Mulaw from Crocus is hoping to make his debut after missing the season due to health reasons.

It’s just a matter of who shows up in August ready to compete.

“They know what it is. They have to find their way into the weight room and it’s a huge adjustment. For some reason, people think basketball guys roll in and just play,” Cheung said.

“It’s a huge jump going from Crocus Plains to playing in a Canada West basketball game. It’s a huge jump for Liam. That being said, it’s the same thing, being able to play at this speed, physicality and you have to develop your skills.

“Nothing’s given to you. Those guys know, get in the weight room, put in some time on the court and in that case it’s still not guaranteed to you. That’s the biggest thing, they have to love the game and put in work and at the end of the day, a lot of things have to go your way for it to work out.”

MOVING FORWARD

The Bobcats have to watch the playoffs continue with Calgary visiting Victoria on Friday and Manitoba hosting UBC on Saturday in the semifinals.

The winners head to the gold-medal game and to nationals — the Thunderbirds are already in as hosts — while the Bobcats head back to practice after a few weeks to focus on school.

Bhatti wasn’t sure he’d return but wants to complete his degree before seeking professional contracts and found out he has to do so at BU, so he’s likely playing his fifth year.

The majority of the lineup should be back barring unforeseen circumstances or changes of heart — Cheung hasn’t completed his exit meetings yet.

By next year, Cheung hopes to have a new game-ready big man to eat up minutes and space in the paint.

“We need someone to come in and either stretch the floor for us as a four, five man or someone that can play above the rim,” he said. “At the same time, it’s a lot easier said than done and we’re going to look for the best players available, whether that’s Canadian or international.”

While it was a down year, the team’s fifth straight playoff appearance bodes well for the future.

“It’s a good accomplishment for a group that lost a ton, with a lot of pieces moving forward,” Cheung said.

“It’s a big off-season for our guys to put in the work and try to build on the late-season success and keep it moving forward for next year.”

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